QuestionQUESTION: Hi Barrie,have owned my 1965 MGB roadster (steel wheels, 3 syncro, 5 main bearing imported from UK) for past 37 years during which time handbrake has never been satisfactory (MOT in S Africa only on change of ownership of vehicle). Replaced complete hbrake cable (Moss supplied) but adjusted to fullest extent, virtually no difference. Have checked play on actual hbrake lever mounting on tunnel. Shoes are adjusted correctly and not worn. Had a look at actuators - no excessive wear on pivots, springs in place. Hole on backing plate through which lever enters not apparently worn although lever seems to push against edge of hole to operate which does not look right but maybe the design is that crude ? However, the shoes do not fit snugly into the cutouts on the actuating levers on either end so play equal to at least the depth of the cutouts has to be taken up before shoes start to move outward. In frustration have filled in the cutouts with weld (not recommended I know, but am desperate !) and now I have a passable hbrake. Obviously I am missing something simple somewhere. It is possible that prior to my ownership the levers could have changed for incorrect ones or the shoes - unlikely though as I am second owner and car was serviced by dealership for first owner's term.
Many tks in anticipation of your input.
ANSWER: Hi Charles. This has happened to me as well. I first noticed it after I replaced the rear wheel cylinders. Some new ones have an excessive cut-out in each piston, so the handbrake actuating arms reach the limit of their travel before they can fully expand the brake shoes. Fitting different rear cylinders cured my problem. Check them with a digital vernier caliper. Check out this link:
http://www.v8register.net/FilesV8WN/V8NOTE383%20brake%20difficulty%20BJ%203.9.08
By the way, I have never come across badly made actuating arms or shoes, although badly worn drums would make matters worse. Also, wire wheels require different length cables than steel wheels because the axles are of different width.
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QUESTION: Brilliant, Barrie. Thank you so much, makes absolute sense. Will borrow a digital and check it out. One final possibility just in case - would a wire wheel axle brake cable be longer or shorter than steel wheel ? It always possible that I ordered/was supplied the incorrect cable - however, is there any way of identifying which cable I have - I acquired it so long ago I no longer have the invoice.
AnswerSorry, Charles, but your question is not easy to answer. They made 4 different cables. Depends whether your car is an early 1965 or late 1965 because that was the changeover year from banjo axle to tubed axle.
If it really is the wrong cable, you can still use it. There is an abutment on the cable which is bolted to the tunnel just behind the handbrake. If there is no more adjustment in the adjusting nut, then you can drill another hole in the tunnel and move the abutment, taping over the old hole with duct tape to prevent water getting into the car. The new hole would be one or two inches from the old one (25-50mm). Move it forward to lengthen the cable, or backward to shorten it.
